Socket-wrench set



May 27, 1930. c, E WAKEFIELD ET AL 1,760,799

SOCKET WRENCH 5 ET Filed April 1, 1927 jr'aavzzorzlZ'ere/z'c'e Z Wkfzk/dJase o ,Jase y Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES meant CLARENCE E.WAKEFIELD, JOSEPH IE. FLEMING, AIND JOSEPH F. OLIVER, OF WORCES- TEE,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS T WAKEFIELD ALLPSTEEL WRENCH COMPANY, INC, OFWORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS SOCKET-VIRENCHSET Application filed April 1,

The present invention relates to socket wrench sets, comprising aplurality of sockets of graduated sizes and a common handle or shank,which is'provided for use, selectively, with any one of said socketedmembers. i

Our invention resides in the compact assemblage of such a set in aspecially constructed holder or container, the latter being of simpleand inexpensive construction, and aoapted to prevent'accidentaldisplacement of the parts of the set while permitting them to beremoved, when desired, with the utmost ease.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the improved holder withthe wrench parts assembled therein.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the assembly.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device, as seen from the left in Figs. 1and 2.

Fig. l is a transverse sectional view on the line H of Fig. 1.

Like reference characters refer .to v like parts in the differentfigures.

A socket wrench set of the type referred to provides, as is well known,a plurality of similarly shaped socket members 1, 2, 3, 1, 5 and 6,graduated in size, and each having a nut or bolt-receiving socket, hereshown as hexagonal in form, and adapted to fit a given size of nut orbolt, ranging from a large nut or belt, for which the member 1 isprovided, to a small nut or bolt, for which the member 6 isprovided,intermediate sizes being taken care of by the socket members 2to 5 inclusive. These socket members are graduated not only as todiameter, but also as to depth, and each provides, in addition to itssocketed nutengaging portion, a polygonal opening 7, all of the openings7 being of the same size and shape, so as to be capable of operativeengagement with the similarly shaped handle or shank member 8, common toall of said sockct members. 7

As here shown, the openings 7 are hexag- 1927. Serial No. 180,235.

onal and the handlemember 8 is'of hexagonal section to fit all of saidopenings 7. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 1, one end of the shank orhandle 8 is bent at right angles, as indicated at'9; either end of thehandle can be inserted in any of the socket members, depending uponwhether the long'portion or the short portion of the handle is to beused as a lever arm.

According to the invention, we provide a shallow tray or holder 10,preferably, made from a single elongated piece of sheet metal, whoselongitudinal edges are bent uprto provide parallel side walls 11, 11,and Whose ends are bent up to provide one end wall 12 of substantiallythe same height as the side walls 11, 11, and another end Wall 13 ofgreater height. Along the edge of'end wall 12, the material of the trayhas an extension which is curled over to form'an eyelet or hinge 14, fora purpose to be hereinafter described. I r i The tray is of a length andwidth sufficient to receive the bent handle member 8, laid fiatwisetherein as shown in Fig. 1, and the remaining area of the bottom of saidtray accommodates the socket members 1 to 6 inclusive, when laid in arow with their sides against said bottom and their ends against thatwall 11 which is farthest removed from the handle 8. In so disposing thesocket members 1 to 6 inclusive, the largest member 1 is placed adjacentthe high end wall 13 of the tray, with the sizes of the other socketmembers gradually decreasing toward theother end of the tray, so thatthe smallest member 6 is adjacent the short portion 9 of the handle 8.If the socket members are all of the same depth,- the engagement oftheir ends with the handle 8 will prevent their endwise movement on thetray bottom; otherwise, such endwise shifting or displacement canreadily be prevented by striking up from the material of said traybottom a plurality of suitablylocated tongues or projections 15, 15,each so spaced from the wall 11 of the tray as to snugly hold itscorresponding socket member against said wall. Similarly, a

tongue 16, struck up from the bottom of the.

tray, may be advantageouslyused to contact with the sine or" thesmallest socket 6, thereby to prevent any rolling of said socket memberslengthwise of said tray. 7

A resilient wire 17 is inserted through the eyelet or hinge portionofend wall 12, and is bent substantially at right angles beyond each endof said hinge portion, so that one section 18 of said wire will overliethe socket members 1 to 6 inclusive, while another shortcontactwithhandle 8 ,said portion .19 preferably having'a laterally extending bend521 at its free end to bear against one of thesides of the handle. Inorder to more effectively a hold the socket members down and to give theportion 18 a greater contact surface with each of said members, saidportion 18may be given the wave form I shown in Fig. 2, involving spacedcurved or segmental portions 22, 22, corresponding in number and incurvature to the underlying socket members 1 to 6 inclusive. I

We claim,

1. A tray or container forthe reception on w its bottom of theinterchangeable socket members and .the common handle member of a socketwrench set, and a wire hinged to one end wall of said tray and providingtwo sections overlying the tray bottom, one section for. contact withsaid socket membersand the other section for contact with said handlemember, and a slot in the other end wall of said tray, to provide alatch for the free end of said wire.

. 2; A tray or container for the reception on its bottom of theinterchangeable sock-ct members and the common handle member of a socketWrench set, and a wire hinged to one end wall of said tray and providingtwo sections overlying the tray bottom, one section for contact withsaidsocket members and'the other section forcontact with said handlemember.

3. A tray or container for the sidevise reception on its bottom of a rowofinterchangeable socket members of a socket wrench set, and for theflatwise reception on its bottom of the bent-end handle common to allthe socket members of said set, said handle extending parallel tosaidrow, with its bent end occupying the space between an end wall of saidtray and the end socket member of said row, anda retaining wire hingedto said end wall, with one section thereof extending the full length ofsaid tray, in overlying contacting relation to said row of socketmembers, and with another section thereof in overlying relation to saidhandle.

4. In an article of the class described, a tray or container for thefiatwise reception on its bottom of a row of interchangeable socketmembers of a socket wrench set, said tray having a portion of its bottomsurface bounded off for such reception, said tray providing alsoafurther space also bounded off for the flatwise reception on-itsbottomof the bent handle common to all the socket members, sides to said trayconstituting the outer boundaries of both of said spaces and ends tosaid tray constituting the .end boundaries of both of said spaces in onecase and of the space for the bent handle in the other case, the bentend of said handle occupying the space between said last named end walland the end .socket member of said row, and common retaining means forretaining the socket members and the handle in the tray. Dated March 30,1927. 7 CLARENCE E. WAKEFIELD.

JOSEPH P. FLEMING. JOSEPH E'OLIVER.

